A crypto analyst says Bitcoin is on its way to $160,000 or a “crazy number,” Alex Mashinsky gets 12 years jail, and more: Hodler’s Digest The US federal court for the Southern District of New York has sentenced former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison for fraud. Mashinskys legal team sought a light sentence. They highlighted his spotless record before the Celsius incident, along with his military service and willingness to plead guilty. But US prosecutors were less inclined to leniency, suggesting on April 28 that the judge deliver a 20-year sentence for his actions. Betting markets predicted a light sentence ahead of the May 8 hearing. Polymarket showed only 11% odds for a 20-year sentence or higher. Read more
The BSV network has faced numerous delistings, 51% attacks, and a long-term price decline as the altcoin struggles to gain traction. Investors of Bitcoin Satoshi's Vision (BSV) — a hard fork of Bitcoin Cash (BCH), which itself is a hard fork of the Bitcoin (BTC) protocol, are attempting to revive a 2019 lawsuit against crypto exchange Binance for delisting the altcoin, which the litigants claim stunted the price of BSV. According to Law360, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that a July 2024 decision from the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal dismissing the "loss of chance" claim made against Binance for delisting the token, should be reconsidered. The litigants demanded $9 billion in damages, in the original case. The investors continue to claim that Binance's 2019 delisting of BSV and similar major exchange delistings are the primary drivers of BSV's long-term price decline and its failure to attract the investor attention enjoyed by Bitcoin. Read more
Institutional buying is changing Bitcoin market dynamics as large, organized entities gobble up newly mined Bitcoin supply. Strategy, a Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company, is accumulating Bitcoin at a faster rate than total miner output, giving the supply-capped asset a -2.33% annual deflation rate, according to CryptoQuant CEO and market analyst Ki Young Ju. "Their 555,000 BTC is illiquid with no plans to sell," the analyst wrote in a May 10 X post. "Strategy's holdings alone mean a -2.23% annual deflation rate — likely higher with other stable institutional holders," Ju continued. Michael Saylor, the co-founder of Strategy, is an outspoken Bitcoin advocate who evangelizes the scarce digital currency to potential investors and has inspired many other companies to adopt a Bitcoin treasury plan. Read more
Gold has long been a safe haven in turbulent times, but decentralized finance (DeFi) can unlock its untapped potential. Opinion by: Kevin Rusher, founder of RAAC It’s a volatile world out there. This year, we’ve seen stocks take a wild ride as gold has pumped and crypto has been caught somewhere in the middle. Investors have dumped risk assets and scrambled for safe havens. Gold is leading the charge. While gold is safe, it is not very hard-working. Unlike cash and treasuries, the yellow metal does not generate income. Now, more than ever, investors need to be able to earn yield on gold — particularly in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector. Read more
Growing risk appetite following US tariff deals and Pectra upgrade has improved the Ethereum market's upside outlook. Key takeaways: Ether is set for its best weekly gain since May 2021. Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, mega-whale accumulation, and a major short squeeze fuel the rally. Read more
Many people thought 4chan was gone for good, but the controversial imageboard is back, as is its crypto-heavy /Biz/ board. After 4chan was hacked on April 14 and vast troves of user and moderator data were leaked online, the controversial website quickly went down, and many believed it would never recover. However, less than two weeks later, the imageboard was back online, defiant as ever. “4chan is back,” an official blog post proclaimed. “No other website can replace it, or this community. No matter how hard it is, we are not giving up.” The imageboard has left its mark on the world in many consequential ways, birthing countless memes and conspiracy theories, serving as a platform for political movements ranging from the alt-right to Anonymous, and acting as a dumping ground for leaks and hacks of all sorts. Read more